It’s curtains on week-long Kankaria carnival in Gujarat

The fifth edition of the Kankaria carnival culminated on Monday. The last day witnessed lakhs of visitors at the lakefront. Various activities took place amid tight security.

The fifth edition of the Kankaria carnival culminated on Monday. The last day witnessed lakhs of visitors at the lakefront. Various activities took place amid tight security.

Surprisingly, unlike every year chief minister Narendra Modi was not present for the closing ceremony. His absence was compensated for by revenue minister Anandiben Patel this year.

Patel arrived at the venue an hour late. Talking about the popularity of the lakefront and the carnival, she pointed out how people from other cities visit the venue.

“Till now, the footfall in the carnival has crossed 1 crore mark. This figure, which also includes visitors from different parts of the country, is quite impressive for the city’s lakefront.”

The Delhi gang rape found a mention in her address. “Women who have been exploited should come forward for justice and we should create awareness about such exploitation,” she said.

Talking about development in the city, mayor Asit Vora said, “Apart from basic facilities, AMC has also focused on providing other amenities to citizens. We are the first in the country to adopt zero solid waste management and have been declared as zero waste city.”

Talking about future plans, he said that civic body is making plans for starting BRTS route from Ashram road, thus covering a total of 125 km of the city.

Cultural performances, music bands and vocal performances kept the audience engaged and awestruck in the evening. The graceful Odiya cultural dance, held an hour before the closing ceremony, mesmerised the audience.